Scale of Fermion Mass Generation

Unitarity of longitudinal weak vector boson scattering implies an upper bound on the scale of electroweak symmetry breaking, Lambda EWSB ≡ 8pv ≈ 1 TeV. Appelquist and Chanowitz have derived an analogous upper bound on the scale of fermion mass generation, proportional to v 2/mf, by considering the scattering of same-helicity fermions into pairs of longitudinal weak vector bosons in a theory without a standard Higgs boson. We show that there is no upper bound, beyond that on the scale of electroweak symmetry breaking, in such a theory. This result is obtained by considering the same process, but with a large number of longitudinal weak vector bosons in the final state. We further argue that there is no scale of (Dirac) fermion mass generation in the standard model. In contrast, there is an upper bound on the scale of Majorana-neutrino mass generation, given by LambdaMaj ≡ 4piv2/m nu. In general, the upper bound on the scale of fermion mass generation depends on the dimensionality of the interaction responsible for generating the fermion mass. We explore the scale of fermion mass generation in a variety of excursions from the standard model: models with fermions in nonstandard representations, a theory with higher-dimension interactions, a two-Higgs-doublet model, and models without a Higgs boson.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Physics

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Niczyporuk, Janusz Michael

Contributors dc:contributor

• Willenbrock, Scott S.

• Physics, Elementary Particles and High Energy

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI3044186

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/80482